Poderosa Afrodita

I have just watched Woody Allen's magnificent movie again for the first time in almost 10 years and am more convinced than ever that it is one of his most under-rated films (but then, how do you judge an artist - by his individual works or by the overall body of his work?). And if suddenly I feel I am getting too serious here, let's just say that this is a very funny film.

By now there is no escaping the fact that Woody Allen's films are largely autobiographical in that he uses what is happening in his own life to fuel his storylines. For an audience this is sometimes only apparent in hindsight as the tabloids are quick to exploit Woody's foibiles. But he beats us to it, and for that reason "Mighty Aphrodite" deals us a killer blow - it is very, very funny but in dealing with adoption, children and in marriages on the verge it is also very moving. I laughed till I cried (the juxtaposition of the Greek chorus with the contemporaneous is a brilliant device) and finally I just cried.

As to the movie itself, it is beautifully photographed and brilliantly edited (and with some inspired choreography) and acted to the highest order: (Helena Bonham-Carter standing in for Mia Farrow just as well as Kenneth Branagh stood in for the Woodmeister in "Celebrity" - and how incestuous can we get here). But the final word has to go to Mira Sorvino who is funny, touching and inspired. Sometimes (not often) the Academy gets it right and her Oscar was one of their finest hours.

The writing, directing, and acting in this movie were fabulous. The supporting cast is one of the best ever assembled, and heading this supporting cast is the breakout performance of the century. Mira Sorvino as Linda Ash has to be one of the greatest comedic performances in the history of film. She is charming, and sweet, and everything you would never expect a New York hooker and porn star to be. She creates Linda Ash from lines and direction that could go either way. She could have chosen to make this character a hardened, tough city chick. Instead, she went a completely different route of innocence despite sexual experience and naivete in the face of New York attitude, and it won her a well-deserved Oscar. She is also just as delightful and funny as she is touching and poignant. See this movie, even if it is only for Sorvino's performance, ignoring the incredible and novel script, the presence of Helena Bonham Carter and other actors of her caliber, and the fact that this could rival Annie Hall for best Woody Allen film. Great acting, great script, great comedy, wonderful movie.

I don't think Woody Allen was aiming very high with Mighty Aphrodite, and it's just as well that his targets are lowered onto one of the most "light" comedies ever made about a prostitute and a sports writer, with a Greek chorus in tow. You know the Greek chorus, chiming in at those moments when drama might need a little heightening, and if needed adding some unintentional humor to the process of a story like Antigone (actually, it's not a very funny story, but besides the point). Woody Allen combines with a fair amount of his usual wit a film that plays upon the big moral quandaries that are juxtaposed by a it's own built-in audience within the story; occasionally, one of the Greek chorus members (F. Murray Abraham especially, in one of his funniest roles) comes directly to Woody's character telling him 'what are you doing?' in a scene of near-classic Woody-nervousness comedy. It almost leans on becoming a little too goofy to deal with, as the story itself should have enough weight on its own to go without a sidebar of fantasy. But it does help garner some big laughs; where else will you see Zeus with his answering machine on?

Woody Allen plays the aforementioned sports writer, who's married to a preoccupied art curator (Helena Bonham Carter), and together with her has an adopted son. He starts to get curious about where his son originally came from, as he seems very bright and an above average kid even at the age of five. After some prodding and searching, he comes upon the mother: Leslie, aka Linda St. James, aka Lucy C** (Mira Sorvino, in a somewhat deserving Oscar turn). A prostitute and sometimes porno actress, she soon goes under Woody's character as a new woman, breaking away- slowly and with some trouble with her "business manager"- into a normal life. Although Allen does go to some lengths to make Linda, and even Carter's character, pretty well-rounded characters, he himself sort of stays in a narrow role as either the usual Woody nebbish with many a quick wisecrack (i.e. first meeting Linda at her apartment, surrounded by a screwing pig clock and cacti with genitalia, and his run-in with her 'manager' at a seedy bar), or as the surrogate match-maker for Linda to go on with a new life with a new man.

A lot of this leads to funny scenes, not least of which surrounding what is in the subtext rather sad, of the situation of how she gave up her son for adoption and that it's never said outright what the truth is about Woody showing up to her, and there's somehow through what is potentially troublesome material some laugh-out-loud scenes. A scene that is meant, conventionally, just for character development like at the race track where Linda bets on the "Eager Beaver" is a riot, as well as the arranging of the first date with her and Michael Rappaport's dim-witted farmer/boxer. And Allen even attempts for a wallop of whimsy at the end when irony is piled up high, and everyone is seen, simply put, being in a level of bliss with their respective lot in life. If it isn't totally focused as a better Woody Allen picture, it may be because it works a little better when around the Allen/Sorvino connection, as opposed to the whole side-story involving him and his wife, which could be picked out from any random Woody Allen movie (and not necessarily a very involving side-story either).

There's a good few laughs, a couple of brilliant zingers, and better than average performances turned in. Like Bullets Over Broadway it's a successful attempt at presenting dramatic subject matter in a light-hearted fashion, if not as deep or layered as the former.

Spike Jones once said that his material was too corny for sophisticated people but too sophisticated for corny people. Woody Allen's material can lend itself to similar critique. Mighty Aphrodite has a superb balance between sophistication and corn.

The Greek chorus idea is very well used, both at a sophisticated level - the film is essentially a modernised Greek drama - and at a corn level (when the chorus morphed into a more Broadway-style chorus Janie avoided the cheese by going into the kitchen and uncorking the wine). The Greek myth theme is well done throughout - I loved the appeal to Zeus especially. Also the deus ex machina resolution was terrific fun, although I think not entirely original (I believe it was Cocteau who previously used the helicopter as a visual deus ex machina).

Fine performances - Mira Sorvino is a super "tart with a heart". Even Helena Bonham Carter is more effectively used in this film than in her standard Merchant Ivory roles, although I thought she lacked chemistry with Woody. Good also to see F Murray Abraham as the leader of the chorus - why do we see so little of him these days?

I'm a fan of Woody, but he has been patchy in the last 10 years or so. With this one, he really was in sparkling form. Well worth seeing.

I can say that "Mighty Aphrodite" is the film that made me really appreciate Woody Allen's films. His direction is great, and so is the screenplay in the majority of his pictures.

The story of "Mighty Aphrodite" is magic, light, funny and beautiful. The idea of the Greek chorus is just incredible! All the cast is great, but the best one is really Mira Sorvino. She deserved her Oscar playing Linda Ash, a nice and ingenuous prostitute.

So if you like Woody Allen's films, you'll surely love this one like I did.